GCC states need to do more to formulate and implement clean energy and sustainable development policies that can help mitigate against climate change scenarios, according to an Omani researcher, Hilal al Shidi, a scientist at Sultan Qaboos University. There is a need for comprehensive policies underpinned by a strong regulatory framework if the pursuit of renewables is to gain traction.
Worryingly, Oman and the rest of the GCC bloc are placed in the “high risk” category for countries that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, said Mr Al Shidi.
“The social, economic and ecological impacts of climate change are expected to be higher in GCC countries than in the rest of the world. GCC countries will be confronted with multiple climate change challenges such as desertification, loss of biodiversity, water scarcity, and sea level rise,” reported the Oman Daily Observer citing Mr Al Shidi.
In a scientific paper, titled “Shifting to Renewable Energy to Mitigate Carbon Emissions: Initiatives by the States of Gulf Cooperation Council”, which he co-authored with Hameed Sulaiman and Patrick Amoatey, he said that oil and gas consumption in the GCC is among the highest in the world, as demonstrated by a 2013 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Galloping electricity demand growth in the GCC is a factor for high fuel consumption, according to the paper. Power demand grew at an average annual rate of 3.15% during the 2005-2009 timeframe, which was significantly higher that the world average of 2.2% for the same period. Average per capita electricity consumption in the GCC region 10,976 kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2009, which was 3.9 times higher than the world average of 2806 kWh, it noted.
“Though, all the GCC countries have ratified the International Renewable Energy Statute of increasing the share of renewables in their energy grids, there is considerable variation in the adoption of renewable energy technologies,” the paper pointed out.
Mr Al Shidi and his colleagues also lamented the GCC bloc’s ranking as one of “the top per capita contributors to global pollution”. Although home to only 0.6% of the world’s population, the region accounts for 2.4% of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the IEA, all six GCC countries fall in the top 25 countries responsible for the highest per capita CO2 emissions.